In Conversation with Gopikrishna Parat, Author of An Odyssey of Random Reflections

Q. How did you come up with the title of your book?

The poems in this book are reflections of a chaotic mind which challenges the countless impulses that it come across in life sometimes to be in harmony sometimes to be in conflict making it as a journey through the serenity and turbulence, what I decided to call as "An Odyssey of Random Reflections" Q. What inspired you to write this book? Writing down my thoughts and emotions in my journal had always been a habit. When I revisited those pages, I noticed a natural poetic flow that inspired me to shape them into poems. Later, my wife encouraged me to bring a few of them together into a book. Q. Among all themes and topics, why did you choose this one in particular? The dynamics of the human mind and its emotions have always captivated me. I’ve long believed that my intellect is mature and grounded, yet my mind is equally chaotic, forever questioning, challenging, and provoking it with thoughts both logical and illogical. I began to enjoy witnessing this clash within me, the constant push and pull. Eventually, I chose to record these conversations between my steady intellect and my restless mind in my journal. I enjoyed revisiting these pages and felt a poetic flow in those lines which inspired me to write poems on this. Q. What personal experiences have shaped your writing the most? I’ve always been sensitive to everything happening around me, the moods of people, the unspoken tension in the air, the subtle shifts in energy. I enjoy witnessing intricate ways of the human mind and the silent drama it is unfolding within every individual, its fears, desires, contradictions, and dreams, without which life would lose much of its excitement. Q. What does being a published author mean to you, beyond seeing your words in print? Being a published author feels like opening a private door into my inner world and inviting readers to walk through it. For years, my journal captured the conversations between my mature intellect and my chaotic, questioning mind. Seeing those reflections evolve into a book is more than a creative milestone, it’s a moment of connection. It means that my personal journey, my doubts, my emotional swings, and my quiet observations may help someone else feel seen, heard, or understood. To me, that is far more meaningful than just having my words in print. It’s the possibility of resonance. What can we, as readers expect from this book? This book offers an honest, unfiltered exploration of the human mind, its harmony, its conflicts, its contradictions, and its unexpected beauty. The poems are born from raw moments, times when logic clashed with emotion, when clarity wrestled with confusion, and when the smallest experiences triggered the deepest reflections. Readers can expect a journey that mirrors their own internal dialogues, the ones we all have, but seldom articulate. It’s a collection that invites you to pause, feel, and reflect, no matter where you are in life’s chaos. How do you expect your readers to use this book optimally? I hope readers treat this book not just as poetry to be read, but as a companion to return to. Each poem stands on its own, offering something different depending on the reader’s mood, mindset, or moment in life. Read it slowly, the way you would listen to an intimate conversation. My hope is that readers revisit the poems that echo their emotions and allow the book to become part of their personal inner dialogue.